At Walmart, our associates have real opportunities to advance and build a career. Nearly three-quarters of store management in the U.S. started with us as hourly associates.

We’re creating jobs. Last year, your Walmart created 63,000 jobs around the world, including 33,000 jobs in the U.S. And when the company does well financially, we share our results with associates. In fact, for their 2008 performance, we distributed well over a billion dollars worldwide to hourly associates in incentive bonuses.

I want our company to build on the progress we’ve made in associate opportunity. We can make a big difference here. We can change the way people everywhere look at training and development in a company of our size. And we can be part of the solution to some big issues facing the countries we operate in.

Issues like having a well-trained workforce to meet the challenges of the 21st century; offering working people a path into a better life — whether they live in rural America or cities in emerging countries; helping women — who for too long have been left out of too many economies — climb the career ladder.

Many of our associates build careers at Walmart — taking on new roles and growing and developing with us, just like a lot of people here today. And for many associates, a Walmart job is their first job.

Anyone who knows me and my priorities, knows how much I value diversity and inclusion. No one should be left out. Every Walmart associate deserves the opportunity to achieve their fullest potential at this company and in life.

At Walmart, we’ve always taken the long perspective. We have a culture built on trust and integrity. We are passionate about helping our customers live better. And I think we’ve set an example that shows business can be trusted.

Mike Duke is president and CEO of Walmart. This piece was compiled from his address at a June 2009 Walmart shareholders’ meeting.

Reader Feedback

Ann from Carroll Gardens says:

So, the CEO of Wal-Mart did not even take the time to respond to Brooklyn's concerns??? His PR team just cut and pasted an old speech to have us believe that he really gives 2 cents about our borough??? Insulting to say the least. Mr. Duke...one word...FUHGEDDABOUDIT!!

May 12, 2010, 10:23 pm

madmilker from upper west side says:

Good company...duh!....is that before it had the star in the name... or......afterward.

Before they moved their Global Procurement Office to Hong Kong....or....after they moved it to China.

Before they made that deal on a port in Mexico...or...afterward.

Before the hyphen in the name when it was Walton's 5 & 10......or.....after it became Wal-Mart.

Good for who....they put less than 5% foreign in their stores in China....that sounds purdy dang good if you be Chinese.......not American.

Good for those fifteen ships that pollute as much as 760 million automobiles....or....the 60,000 deaths from ships in America cause by pollution from ships.

Now, you may read hat I wrote and take it with a grain of salt....but sometimes the truth hurts. Just check on Wal*Mart's China web page under "About Us" when it come to that less than 5% foreign in all their store in China and you will get that fact in black and white.

To bad the turnips in Washington D. C don't see that but guess that is the reason Wal*Mart hired Leslie Dach...duh!!! research on that fellow one could write a book about.

duh again.

May sure none of you say a word when those turnips in D. C. shove that Carbon Tax Bill down the American taxpayers throats.....cause I ain't got a dang foreign item inside any of those containers in those fifteen cargo ships that pollute as mush as 760 million automobiles.

oh! and just think about this...it takes $9 billion a year in hidden taxes from all Americans to clean the fish from ballast tanks of ships....whether you shop for all the foreign made are not.

But I all most forgot what this article is about...oh! Wal*Mart is a good company....well, I know where I would like to shove those fifteen cargo ships and parallel park'em.

All that so-call good ain't sittin' very well with this O'fart.

Feb. 9, 2011, 8:44 pm

madmilker from upper west side says:

And to all you stiff shirt self-centered nincompoops...1910 to National Debt was sitting at $2.6 billion and your Government was asking all those Harvard, Princeton and Yale Ivy league turnips what to do....and fast forward 101 years and the National Debt is sitting a little over $14 trillion and your Government is still asking those same Harvard Business turnips what to do....now, I got very little book learning but do know one thing when it comes to balancing my pocket book and it sure as he!! ain't got a dang thing to do with making my debt bigger.

Elephants and Jack@sses...they all turnips...couldn't pour "P" out of a boot with the instructions on the heel...nothing like our founding fathers.

"Observe good faith and justice toward all nations. Cultivate peace and harmony with all... The Nation which indulges toward another an habitual hatred or an habitual fondness is in some degree a slave. It is a slave to its animosity or to its affection, either of which is sufficient to lead it astray from its duty and its interest ... Tis our true policy to steer clear of permanent alliances, with any portion of the foreign world." - George Washington, Farewell Address, 17 Sept. 1796.

goodnight!!

Feb. 9, 2011, 8:55 pm

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